Points of View

The book is an autobiography, written in the first person. The reader views everything through Carlos' eyes and sees everything from his perspective. This allows the reader to understand Carlos better and to understand what he experienced. When the book opens at the farm in the barrio, the reader sees a five year old trying to find out if the man approaching them is his brother, a brother he has only seen pictures of and has never met. The reader watches as Carlos becomes aware of his mother and her living conditions when he sees her admiring the fancy clothing of the middle class, knowing that she and her children will never have anything like that.

Even though the book is written from the first person point of view, the reader can still understand the feelings and actions of other characters through the eyes of the...